Act 1 Wings of Change: Chapter 1 Adriane Diary
by Crisl Dragoon
Summary: This whole act starts before the day of the bombing at the watcher main office, wraps around the fight in Sunnydale, shows how the Slayers and surprise allied with Angel and it also shows changes and gives hints to Act 2.
1. Chapter 1

Act 1 Wings of Change

© 2003 by Chris Regan

Adriane Diary

As I stood, look out the window of my study at the rain, I though it had been five hundred years ago since I was human. I thought of Aiden my mentor and my friend in my youth I had no idea that he was a vampire. I suspected he might be different than, other humans for one day in frustration he told me "He had been searching the Watchers old archives for half a century looking for anything that spoke of the League but have found nothing."

I asked him "Why?"

He looked at me "There are secrets that the Watchers should not have."

I said, "You are a Watcher and I am a Watcher that means we should not see them either."

"That maybe so but some one has to protect them from themselves."

I said to him "Aiden you don't make much sense,"

"I suppose I don't he get the next stack of diaries Alden" I nodded and walked into the next room to get a pile of diaries when I got back, my curiosity got the better of me but he would not talk about the subject further.

I was down in the vault one evening not long before the death of Adriane. She was very old by this time and it amazed me that she could move thought the old tunnels. This night I was in the vault very late when I was when I saw her bringing a box of old diaries to Aiden's office the top diary had an envelope stuck between the pages.

She was found three days later dead in an alley. Her eyes were gone and so was her tongue, in my research she was not the only one that had been killed that same way over the centuries. Guillaume had been killed in the same way so had Hashim. Sybil and her husband David and their oldest son Joseph. Their other three children were with David's brother his family it was reported that the brother his wife and all the kids disappeared. Over the years the watchers had been looking for them and there descendents but never found them.

It was a long time after I had seen Adriane that I was bit and wandered the streets looking for a warm meal. It was a dark night the moon was showing a sliver of it round surface to earth. When first I saw them, they were young beautiful women in their twenties, at the time I did not know they were not your typical girls you understand.

I though they were whores selling themselves for money which made them easy prey. I had a mind to eat them but after watching them, I saw that at lease one was a Slayer.

I sat on the tile rooftop watching them as they worked, they in-chanted me. This one night I stop at the local butcher as he was cleaning out the blood table getting ready to make Blood sausage an asked him "You what to make some extra money with less work?"

He looked at me "Sure what do I have to do?"

"Save me some of the warm blood every night."

He looked at me as if I was nuts "Right" until my face changed then his face changed to terror. "Don't kill me, please don't!"

I remember smiling at his terror-stricken face, "I won't hurt you or yours if you do as I have asked." That was better that four hundred years ago now and the man and his family have all died and his descendent Josh run the business now, he is a good lad gives blood to our blood bank every week. Tells us of new vampires and demons that are in the area that is how we found out about Angel's friend that is roaming the docks, haven't found her yet but we will.

I got my blood every night from then on and would sit on a roof top sipping blood and watch them for hour, the one know as Crystal fascinated me.

Then the fatal night came when a group of vampires ganged up on them. I thought to myself "I could let them get killed" but something in me wouldn't let them stand alone, so like a fool I jumped in and kicked butt. After the fight, we found that Katie had been hurt, I carried Katie to what I thought was her watchers home it was a red brick building with green flower boxes at the windows.

After carrying her into the house and laying her on the sofa, turning I found it was a trap for me. After fighting with two big strong men, they usher me into a basement. I felt something was watching me as I sat on the bed talking to myself.

"Thoughts guy were to strong for humans."

"They where vampires!"

I stared at the darkness in shock at the sound of the voice I knew that voice"

He stepped into the light I stared at him thinking he is dead I killed him for the second time in my life Aiden was standing before me.

In fear I said, "Aiden you were old when I bit you, you're dead I remember killing you. You're, you're a ghost!"

He took a breath of air as a human would, laughed then said, "Calm down Alden I'm not a ghost, you did not kill me. I was dead long before we met. I was bit in 1213 and have been a working member of the Cats Eye League since 1415. I asked them to find you, something is coming, and I needed your assistants to copy diaries, books and papers from the archives.

In shock, I looked at him "Do you know when this thing is to happen?"

"No, but the time is close, I feel it, something is coming Alden if I leave the master works at the directorate they will be destroyed."

"Then How…"

"I re-found most of Guillaume and Adriane diaries after you were bit, if they are correct we will only have a few hundred years to copy and remove the originals from the Watchers vault before evil come…"

Aiden just looked at me with a desperate look on his face pleading that I help him; I had seen him in many moods over the years. However, he never appeared to act desparate he sat down on one of the two single beds in the room and put his head in his hands.

I looked at him remembering all the piles of papers, diaries and books. I had carried to his office; there were just a few of us back then that he trusted. We were called The Literary Warriors by the rest of the WD, I smiled to myself it was an honor.

I sat down on the other bunk, as I thought we were the ones that knew the library the best at that time and wanted to be out there standing shoulder to shoulder by our slayer; we were the ones that went out with our slayer as she learned her craft. Where others let there slayer die to save their own skin. We fought like beasts from hell along side our slayer that is how I was turned.

"It's okay Aiden I will help you."

Aiden smile as red tears streamed down his face "I knew I could count on you my boy."

The door to the dark room opened, light streamed in and a sweet voice like listening to water gently flow over smooth river rocks said to us "Come up stairs please." We went up, as the one known as Crystal came in the kitchen with a tray of cups.

"How are the girls?"

A man standing in a shadowy corner said, "Ask her yourself she is standing there!"

Therefore, I did "How is your sister?"

She smiled "She will be fine in a week or two."

"Alden told me why he needs me"

"Yes well we need thoughts that know the tunnels and have the skill at duplicating manuscripts."

Another man walked in the kitchen and Aiden said, "White Wolf went did you get back in town?" as he gave him a hug.

"Late last night"

"Alden this is my old friend White Wolf" I nodded to the man with a wide brim hat that had feathers sticking out of the hatband, long white hair flowed down from under it in two long braids to either side of his face. He was Handsome for an Indian tall with a large chest my guess is he was around six foot tall. He wore white shirt, black three-piece suit, Black socks and boots.

"Pleasure"

"I remember you; you're the one that killed the vampires that attacked me."

"You were a lot cleaner then."

"Yes well it has been twelve years."

He said to the woman "After the meeting Crystal takes him to the pool…"

"Sure White Wolf."

Aiden introduced me to the other two people that were watching the exchange "This is Altair and Gwenwyfar."

Both were very pretty, Altair had a non-sense look about him.

"Well you going to help us or not?"

She smiled "You must excuse him he has had a ruff week so he is a little testy."

"Gwen not in front of strangers"

"Altair he is not a stranger to me I have watched him since before he was change."

She was beautiful with dark hair and olive skin I felt I couldn't say no to her, I felt my mouth moving before I said a word then it finally came out "I, I will do what I can to help you."

"You see dear we didn't need to do all out face change."

As she said that I saw this change come across his face his eyes changed to thoughts of a green-eyed cat and his hair was swept back, with it, his ear became pointed, his eyebrows changed to deep bone like ridges with long up swept eye brows.

"Dear your scaring him stops that!"

"But it's fun!"

"Enough you made your point."

He gave her a pout then said "I guess your right" as he changed his face back to its human form.

As I walked out with Aiden that night, I thought these people are strange they looked and smell human. However, I saw they were not human or vampire the other thing was Gwen and the man Altair seamed older than they looked which made them exceptionally scary to me at the time. Now I rarely think about that just that I have a job to do.

As I came out of my thoughts and back to my study, I looked around the room then I saw it the camera. I guess you're wondering what that has to do with Buffy, Spike and Angel. By its self, not a blasted thing until Aiden showed me the diaries that he had hid for Guillaume and Adriane. These were the last diaries that ether of them had wrote they had been hand delivered to him on the morning before there death. Afterwards several others and I copied them; we started taking the originals to a secret location for their safety.

Jana and I had been worried about Aiden he had been acting very strange of late, he was paler and worked twenty out of twenty-four hours, drank just enough blood to keep going, we knew that Aiden had been searching for the last diary among the books and diaries down on the lowest levels of the WD Building.

In his search Aiden found older diary, books, and parchments, he wanted them out of the building I copied them Jana, Uilliam and I took the master for safe keeping, I felt like an evil was hanging over us it was like Mr. Murphy the one that wrote Murphy's Law was waiting to drop a bomb on us.

It was the fall of year 2000; we set up a watching post in Sunnydale through the help of an old childhood friend of Uilliam's. We thought there might be three of the people spoken about in the old writings there. In the fallowing year's I knew of all the battles in Sunnydale and thought the News services about the demons that were trying to take over Los Angeles.

It was a late fall seven years later, I was sitting in my study opening the mail when the bell rang and Crystal carried in a package from the Watchers I figured it was from Aiden he had been sending me many packages of late. I was sits in my study opening it when an envelope fell out I picked it up and took out the parchment unfolded it and started to read with a look of disbelief.

11 May 2003

Alden,

I found Adriane's Secret diary, she placed it in my hands after the other ones the day before her death. I read it please do not think me mad everything must go as it is in the diary, but do guard it with your life or we are all doomed.

Sincerely You're Friend,

Aiden Berry

I got this shiver up my spine, I started read her Diary:

October 31, 1680

In my mind, I saw what might be a handsome man if it were not for the dirt that caked his face and stringy ebony hair. He is chained in a cell; the sense of it was that of dirty dog. I saw the eyes of an animal and his actions scream kills me. A dark haired female came into the room, she smelled of sweet flowers.

He reacted as if he saw a ghost, he was wailing like a frightened child and shaking his head saying, "No you're dead I tried to save you, tried to do everything in my power."

She puts a finger to his dirty lips, and said, "Shh… it's all right Angel it was my time." She touched his dirty face and stroked his hair.

She left and came back in wheeling a cart with bowls of rose petals, towels, soap and men's clothing. Two men came in with a screen and then a large round tub; they set them up and return with steaming and cold pitchers of water. I see them pouring it into a copper tub, then she taking from the lower shelf of the cart the bowls of petals throwing them on the water.

I hear her say "lock the door" both turn and look at her and nod they are a mirror of each other. They lock the door then leave as she wets the rag and starts to wipe the caked on dirt, off the face of the man in an instant, I see that he is not a man but changes into a creature not vampire or werewolf but something else.

He fights the chains and growls as if he is a wild beast. She takes a few steps back and picks up a cup from the cart and sits down in an over stuffed chair to watch him. "You might as well calm down you won't be getting out of this room" then she takes a sip of what is in the cup.

He yells, "I will kill you when I get out of these chains."

She smiles "Perhaps but that day won't be today Angel"

"Bitch, I am not Angel."

"Then who are you Angelus perhaps?"

"No, I'm Ruairl'! Who are you?"

"I am Cordella. Why have you been killing women with hair that is blond?"

"Blond?"

"Hair of sun light."

"OH! We need healed our blood has been tainted with Henbanes it makes us insane but he still drinks it. She has the power to cure us as she did before."

She looked at him "I need a blood sample from you, let me clean you up and speak to Angel."

He looked at her with the look of a hungry beast then said, "As you wish but we could have such a good time together"

"Yes I'm sure we could."

"His body went limp as the chains held him from clasping on the floor; she was washing his face as he came around. Thinking this was a dream or exhaustion he plead with her "Cordella stop tormenting me you're dead I couldn't save you."

She smiled and continued to wipe his face she then said "Angel it's me" she kissed him.

AS I watched her clean him up it struck me the demon looked like Guillaume a watcher from my youth but how could that be he has been dead for twenty years. His wife had no children, so perhaps I am seeing a future time were a branch of his family had his reincarnation."

She smiled and put a finger to his dirty lips "It is my turn to save you, hush now everything will be fine Angel trust me."

As I watched there shadow behind the screen she unlock the cuffs and remove his clothing and threw them into a pile, you could hear the water being rung out of the washcloth as she washes him. It was like in the old writing from before my time, in a way it was very romantic and sensual. I thought, "What is this? This is indecent behavior for a young single woman! She is a whore! How could a whore save him? But at the same time the whole scene fascinates me I must be getting old to think such evil thinks, God for Give me for my evil thoughts."

I heard him ask her as she bring out and odd small device.

"What is that for?"

"Angel I need a blood sample."

"You know that won't go in my skin."

"I know that is why I want to cut you and get the sample that way."

"OK you can try."

I saw her cut him then draw a tube of red liquid from the cut, the cut close as fast as it opened, she left with her prize, and he lay on the bed and went to sleep.

I sat at my desk thinking then poured tea for both of us, I watched Crystal she was sitting doing needlework. As I sipped tea, then I stared out the window at the rain. "My mind wonder could it be the time for the transformation?"

I returned to the diary:

November 25, 1680

"They, the two men with hair that looked like it had skunk strips left the room where the ebony haired demon was, they go into another room were there are magic boxes that show every angle of the other room and the hall in both directions. I hear them talking they talked such a strange langue but I could understand most of it.

"If Angel is inside of that body she will be the one to bring him back."

"She will need to clean him up first"

"Yes he is a mess."

"I'm sure if any one can bring him back to the present it is her."

"Look she has got closer than any of us; he is letting her wash him."

"That is a miracle."

"She is locked in there with him I hope this wasn't a mistake."

"I don't think so it is her blood that he needs to flush all the poison out of his system.

"How do you know he has been poisoned?"

"Combination of thinks, his action and the old writings tell of this event."

They went quiet as they watch her shadow unlock the cuffs and remove his clothing. "It was like in the old writing from before my time."

"If you say so Uilliam."

I saw the two go into a library one gets a book down opens it to a passage and hands it to the other the other he reads it and asked, "Can I keep this for a while?"

"Sure Grandpa Spike" Pulling another off a shelf "You might want to read this one too!

"OK thanks"

As he took, it then looks at it; it was this very diary that I write in tonight. That was hand to him the others Watchers would think I am crazy if I tell them what I have seen.

They turn it is like looking in a mirror they look a like! I saw that face together with Guillaume twenty years ago. "They where comrades he said" when I asked as a child, I met them when I was ten and we saw many creatures together he was the one that introduced me to the League. I sunk down and spoke to the old vault keeper he let me see Guillaume diaries that had been confiscated and hide deep in the vaults after Guillaume death. They where diaries of strange visions that told of a time when the disowned would come to save slayers.

She and Guillaume were seers I could see the pain that she felt. I got up opened the door to the secret room got the first of Guillaume diaries started to read. I had known idea how long I had been there when Crystal came in.

Crystal looked at me with concern on her face "Alden, Alden! What are you doing in here with the door closed?"

I looked up with sleepy glazed eyes, into those beautiful blue eyes then at the table where all Guillaume diaries were stacked on there side. I got up rubbed my face I stood and stretched. I walked into my study trying to figure out how to say what was on his mind as my mate fallow me, I sat looking out at the garden through the French doors then made the statement.

"I needed to study Guillaume's diaries again."

"Why?"

"Clues, they had clues which I didn't see before I read Adriane's diaries."

"Oh! What did you find?"

"Crystal, I think this is the century for the transformation?"

"Everything is falling into alignment then?"

"Yes it appears to be the time."

"Then why are you troubled"

"I keep getting this nagging feeling that it is just the beginning."

13


	2. Chapter 2

Act 1 Wings of Change

© 2003 by Chris Regan

The Escape

As I sit in my study staring out reliving the day when the WD was, bombed I'm on the other end I'm yelling "Hello, Hello!" Then I realize the phone is dead. I call back two more times, then called others I knew that live in the area the phone rang and rang. I called their cellular phones there was no answer, I feel frantic so I called Jana.

For some reason I keep thinking about Aiden's two cats Bast and Pasht as I dialed. I knew the cats from when we had found Crissy and Millie after a terrible storm. A group of us had went out and were walking along the cliffs It was low tide I heard a very weak sound coming from a pile of seaweed then there was some movement. At first, I thought maybe a sea lion or other creature washed up on the shore until I saw a leg move then this wet ball of fur growl at me. I could see the cat was exhausted but she wouldn't give up.

It took us and hour to trap her so we could see the person that appeared to be tangled in the seaweed, the cat was having fits until we put the cage in the same room as the girl from that moment on they were inseparable, until the cat had her kittens. Later we found out the girl's name was Crissy, she had a kinship to the cats, and spring came that was when little Bast and Pasht chose to stay around Aiden and Crissy at the Watchers London Office.

I wonder why I was thinking of them maybe they were as much apart of the family as any other member god knows how many times they just showed up on Jana's doorstep after a long absents with Crissy.

The phone was picked-up and I could tell by the voice, I said "Jana something has happened at the WD."

"Slow down Alden what is bothering you?"

"I called Aiden like usually when he has sent me books but this time I got this chill I was talking to him when the phone went dead."

"Did you call him back?"

"Yes of course! I called him and other that live and work in the area, I even tried there cellular phones and there was no answer!"

"I'll call Robert at New Scotland Yard and we will see what he can dig up."

"OK."

I paced and drank tea that was now cold it felt like it was three hours before Jana got back to me. The phone rang and scary the bloody hell out of me "Bloody Hell" as I picked it up.

"Alden the Watchers Directorate Office was blown-up; it took out three blocks in all directions around it. I will be over to pick you up."

"Jana slows down are you OK?"

"Yes, yes I am fine my emotions have shut down and I'm running on logic but I believe I will be OK."

An hour later Jana picked me up and we drove to the area where the Watchers office use to stand, what greeted us was red-hot flames, Smoldering wood, melted brick and firefighters with hoses trying to drown the flame.

A small huddle of people blackened by the soot in the air an a constable was questioning, the survivors that were alive and being taken to hospital, other not so lucky souls that were in the blast area were being dug out of the rubble on the streets then put in ambulances and taken to morgue as we watched.

Jana grabbed my coat; I could see tear stream down her face as a plan-clothed office came up; "Move back, move back he said to the group of folks around us. Alden, Jana is that you?"

"Yes Joe what happened?"

"Some one planted a bomb in the basement of the bloody place, Killed dam near ever body in the building and every one outside the blast zone for a four block around. Were n not sure it got all the under ground levels but won't know until the flames are out and the bodies have been removed. Hope Aidan wasn't there when the bomb when off."

"He was there I was on the phone with him."

"Too bad I liked the old man. Do you think he could have survived?"

"He was at his privet phone and it is deep in the catacombs so who knows. When do you think we will be able to get in there to look for him?"

"Not for at least six weeks maybe longer, hay do you think he could live down there for that long?"

"He is resourceful and knows thoughts tunnels better than I do, so I would say yes he has a good chance if he made it to the tunnels."

Constable Joseph J. Campbell (We call him Joe.) saw a disturbance across the way "excuse me folks"

"Sure Joe."

"Jana, there is nothing we can do here come back to my place I'll make tea you call Beth and tell her…"

With a deep shaky breath and a flood of tears, she said, "You drive"

"Sure"

The door is standing open in Aiden's underground office, chairs are scattered around the room, two cats are sitting on a massive desk they jump down and slip behind a tapestry, as an old man runs in with a dozen younger men behind him, the phone rings.

With shortness of breath, he said to the person at the other end "Good, I'm glad to hear it got there safely keep it safe it tells whom…

They heard the blast at the same time they felt themselves hit the walls, not knowing how long they were out, the first to come around was a young man close to the door feels something hot and wakes with a female on top of him he slowly rolls her off as she is waking. She sits up holding her head were it is bleeding.

"God what was that?" the young woman said.

"Don't know but it felt like a bomb" he gets off the floor and looks down the corridor from which they came into the office saying "Alden, Alden look"

The old man gets up and goes to the door as the others are slowly getting up, the two peek around the door jam and see smoke and dust flying in the air as it starts creeping around the farther door, and down the hall they saw the first licks of flame come around the corner.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure."

"Come on we have to leave!"

Aiden ran to the tapestry pull it a side, up the tunnel the cats sat with there eye a glow "Bast, Pasht lead them out of here" said the old man. The old man waits until the last person was out of the room then closed a heavy steel door as the cats turned and started to run with all of them fallowing them. They ran until they got deep underground where an underground lake flowed they stopped to rest and drink of the water and fill any bottles they may have.

One of the people while filling his bottle saw white under the waters surface. "Aiden there is something in this water."

"Those are Cave Fish they…"

Behind them, the cats meowed; the old man and a young woman looked around them both saw the cats were at the other opening. They heard the passage start collapsing behind them.

As Aiden yelled "Run, Run you fools."

Every one got up and ran out of the chamber as a cloud of dirt blasted into the chamber.

Aiden said as he ran "We are almost out" then as they got close to the split for the two underground tunnels that ran toward the cemetery there was another cave in the shorter tunnel was blocked as if something didn't want them to escape.

"Dam" said Crissy out of breath.

"What do we do now?" said Brendon one of the watchers.

With sadness in his voice, "We will have to take the long way to get out of here."

Aiden took them deep underground through the longer tunnel that lead to the WD crypts there was a very small trickle of a stream; this is where they rested for the next day.

"If you have water bottles with you re-fill them for we have a long walk ahead of us."

As Crissy filled her bottle "Aiden, where are the cats?"

His dirty face smiled at Crissy he knew she and the cats had a special bond. " They were here a few moments ago" He stopped for a moment and listened then said, "I hear them up the path they are resting about ten feet up in a small alcove

After filling her bottle she went up the passage and found the two cats. One looked Abyssinian the other looked like a regular gray tabby. Both look dingy from the dust. "Shall we contact Alden to let him know you are a live?"

The cats "Meowed" as she sat down they curled up as she closed her eyes and went into a trance.

When they were rested six hours later, Alden and the other found the three of them up the tunnel.

"You get thought?"

Getting up She said, "Not sure, I think I touched Alden's mind."

"Let's hope you did." said one of the guys standing behind Alden.

"Yea I'll try again later when we stop for a rest."

"Yes of course my dear."

We walked for hours and by the time we got to the next underground stream all the humans were tired I and the cats laid down to meditate hoping that I could get thought to Alden.

We had no idea if we where going to see the light of day. I knew Aiden felt responsibility to do everything in his power save us.

I could hear him tell the others "We will rest here for the next four hours."

When I woke from my trance it was quiet then I felt some thing coming

"Alden"

"I know"

"Every one run"

We grabbed our bottles of water and ran for our lives the sound of that tunnel behind us was deafening. As we though we were safe and could slow so the five guys in the back could catch up the tunnel clasped between us then the ceiling in front of us came down with a sheet of dirt that wouldn't stop. When it finally did stop we couldn't see for all the dust floating around. After the dust settled I could hear some one say.

"Couldn't we just dig our way out?"

"Yes, but we're to far down in the earth and most of you are hurt."

"We will rest then we will try to dig though the dirt to get out then to the others behind us."

Aiden asked "Crissy where are the cats?"

"They where farther a head of us I think they escaped the cave in."

"I hope they did if they get to safely to Jana she will come for us."

I said, "She may already know that something is wrong she will surely know when the cats show up without me."

"Rest my dear."

I lay back against a mound of dirt; I don't know how long we laid there I felt my wrist hurt then something being poured into my mouth. I had this dream I got to the entrance the air was sweeter it smelled so close then I felt a shaking, burning and darkness.

19


	3. Chapter 3

Act 1 Wings of Change

© 2003 by Chris Regan

Aidan Rescue

It had been nine weeks since the bomb had blown up the WD. It had been a cold rainy week, this morning Millie a sleek black tabby was very restless coming in and going out the pet door, when Jana saw her.

"Millie what is the matter with you?"

The cat just meowed repeatedly.

"Show me girl"

I opened the door and the cat went out then stopped and looked back at me as if she was saying, "Are you coming!"

I smiled at her and said, "I'm coming"

At that, the cat ran three more feet with me fallowing her. The cat was very proud of anything she caught so I thought that was what the excitement was about until I saw two dirt-wet balls of fur laying next to the roses.

"O My, No" I ran to them yelling "Bast, Pasht."

I had stopped collect another burrow full of wood to watch the scene before returned to my work when I heard Miss Jana yell and saw her run for the roses. I went to see what was troubling her. Then I saw, the two cats laying there I ran up and got the empty wheel burrow and she put them in it along with Millie who was having fits.

I stopped out side the kitchen door, opened it and yelled at Les "The kittens are back".

What shape are they in?"

"Not Good" I saw her grab towel as she trotted though the kitchen. Jana gentle scooped up the first large kitten and hand it to Les' towel covered arms. Les passed it to Mrs. Beth who had just came in from the underground passage. After she saw the shape the kitten was in, I saw her directing Les with great speed to get a wooden box and bedding as Miss Jana got the other cat.

I closed the door and got cups and made the tea sat at the table in the kitchen watching as Miss Jana, Mrs. Beth gently cleaned them. Millie sat on the cat tree watching all the activity very proud of her self.

Miss Jana looked at the kitten in her lap "you poor little thing" as she shook her head then said "Hugo, get me the phone."

"Yes Mistress Jana,"

"I told you to call me Jana"

"Yes Mistress" As I hand it to her.

I though you scoundrel as I looked at him but could see he was doing it to raze me, for everything at that moment was so dire and he knew I was worried. I said, with a laugh in my voice and at winkle in my eye "Finish your tea then get about your work you scoundrel."

"Yes Miss… I mean Jana."

He sits and drinks his tea in silence as she turns her attention to the phone she had.

"Hello is Doctor Darren Ryan available I have an emergency"

"What is the problem Lady Burns?"

"Bast and Pasht showed up today in terrible state, they were both dirty, wet, dehydrated."

"Just a moment"

"I could hear Darren and the receptionist talking."

"Lady Burns is on the line the kittens Bast and Pasht are in bad shape."

"Can they be moved in a cage?"

"Can then be move in a cage?"

"Yes, nothing appears broken."

"Fine Doctor, I will tell her"

"He says to bring them in at two and he will look at them."

"Thank you"

After the conversation, I had finished my tea, "I know Jana I need to get the cages from the basement," I said.

She smiled as the kitten in her lap meowed.

"Are you going to need me to drive you in to the vet?"

"Yes it would be handy to have an extra set of hand."

"Then I better get out side and finish with the out side chores" Bast reach her paw out from under the folds of the clean warm towel that Les had exchange when Jana was on the phone with the vet' office. She tried to cradle into my lap and I caught her.

"It looks like she has other ideas Hugo."

I took a deep breath and shook my head "What I do for you females."

The others laughed as they watched me wrap Bast up in the towel in a short time we heard her purring as she fell a sleep laying on my lap.

It was later that day I got my chores done; I was collecting the last load of wood when the kids were walking up the drive.

"Hugo what are you doing out here?"

"Hi Finn I got behind in my chores."

"What happened?"

"Millie's kittens Bast, Pasht showed up without Crissy."

"How are they" ask Nia.

"They are fine no broken bones but the Doc said they were dehydrated, had cuts and may be sore for up to two to three weeks."

"That is a good that there are no broken bones said Elen."

"I wonder where Crissy is."

"I don't any Liam."

With a worried look Liam said, "Oh Aunt Jana must be going nut she thought of Crissy as her daughter I'm sure she will want to search the tunnels again."

"Yes Liam, I suppose she will; you better go in its getting cold out."

"Yea I guess so"

I watched them as the kids walked away, the others happily chatted but Liam lagged behind with a look of worry on his young face.

As Alden is sitting on his patio thinking, "Jana and I had looked in the rubble of the WD building and found not a blasted thing three weeks after the bombing, we looked in the tunnels six weeks after building had been bombed.

I wonder how deep the longer tunnel went into the earth could they have survived down there Aiden knew where the underground water supplies where so maybe.

When we searched, we found the short tunnels blocked with concert from the WD side when all was moved and we could get in the tunnel the other end was blocked by a mound of dirt.

The longer one was blocked with great blocks of rock and dirt where the two passages joined from the WD side. We have no idea if the other end of the tunnel caved in at the cemetery side yet.

Between us, Jana and I we hoped he escaped through the longer tunnel. Our biggest worry is that he will turn on any others with him if trapped in the underground tunnels. However, the coroner didn't find any bodies with bit marks and neither Aiden nor the fourteen watchers that were missing have shown up. I wonder if I should have told Joe about the tunnels."

Crystal came out with a tray that held a fresh pot of tea and scones; she sat it on the electric warmer "When I was out I picked up fresh scones."

With a far away look in my eyes I said, "That's nice dear."

She looked at me "I know that look Alden what's on your mind?"

"I was thinking about Aiden and hoping he and the others escaped though the tunnels."

"You looked worried."

"It is strange that the WD would be bombed at this time. It's like the bomb was intended to destroy all the records in the basement."

"Is that what Joe told you when he called?"

"He said the evidence pointed to the main bomb being on the ground floor with others smaller ones scatter around in the building but that they found scorch marks and a heavy amount of bomb fragmentation in the basement and though out the lower floors."

"It was deliberately set then!"

"Yes that is what the bomb squad and the coroner report said."

"It is odd that it should come at this time Aiden sent Adriane's Diary to me before the WD was blown up. Could there be something in it that tells who the next members will be?"

"I read some of her diary and remembered what Gwen has said about Angel."

"Yes"

"I wonder could Angel and the dark haired one Adriane spoke of be the same."

She sipped her tea for a moment then spoke slowly "It is very possible, we are overdue for new blood to arrive in the vampire and slayer sector of the League. According to Gwen, she saw Angel and she said he looks like Guillaume portrait."

"Crystal, the American news from the Los Angeles area said there is a killer roaming the streets killing young women. Which according to my time line for these events it falls at the right time with the recorded history of the League?"

Crystal taking a sip of her tea "Jana told me that she heard from Queen Diamanta after the last big battle in Los Angeles, Uilliam grand sire Spike started running Wolfram & Hart."

"Do you think Angel is killing all thoughts young women in Los Angeles?"

"I think there is a better than average chance that he is the one."

"Do you think we should advice Erma about what we suspect?"

"It couldn't hurt since she is there on that case."

"Should I send her the files on the past cases of this type?"

"Yes I think you should."

"Have you heard the new roomer on the London streets there is a new female vampire hunting on the docks?""

"Yes I heard about her no one knows who she is yet, just that she is insane, the ladies are working on a way to catch her with some help from Mr. Flynn people."

"If we catch her it is going to be a long time before she is sane."

"Yes, Andre will have his hands full with that one."

"Yes like he had with that insane slayer."

When she saw Uilliam the first time…"

"Yes I know it set her back for a number of weeks until she figured out that he wasn't Spike."

"More Tea?"

"Yes"

It was about five that afternoon when I got a call from Jana, I was pouring the tea as my cellular phone next to me rang, I clicked the loudspeaker button and I handed the cup to Crystal as the person came on the line.

"Alden, it me Jana, Bast and Pasht they showed up this morning."

"They must have escaped though the tunnels if so where is Crissy and Aiden?"

"I don't know but the cats are in bad shape it was a miracle that they made it here Alden. They are both dehydrated Darren said it will be weeks before they are back to normal."

I smile to myself "Jana they were tough cats from birth give them time and TLC they will come back to life better than before."

With sadness in her voice, "I know it. It's just… I don't think Crissy and Alden have that type of time for us to wait."

"I know Jana but it does give me hope that Aiden and Crissy are some were in the longer tunnel. Are you going to search the tunnels?"

"Yes, we are going to in the next day or so."

I heard a meow come over the phone "It sounds like some one is calling you.

"Yes the kittens are waking; I need to check on them."

"Sure you do that, bye for now."

"Yes bye"

During the conversation Crystal had got up and left the room, she had come back in with a bag. "Alden what is the matter you look worried?"

"That was Jana, Bast and Pasht showed up on her door step this morning with out Crissy."

"OH my, she thought of that girl as if she was her daughter. Now…"

"She plans to search for them in the old a day or two we should start preparing to help Les."

With a smile, "Yes you're right I'll give Les a call and see what we can do."

On a phone table sat an old black rotary dial phone which was there more for show these days than for practicality with the family all having cellular phones now it was little used we just hadn't canceled the service yet.

I picked up the phone and sit on the attached chair, dialed the number "Les I just heard the news is there anything we can do? The search us planned for tomorrow, we'll bring extra Blood and take out for tomorrow night. What kind of take out would the humans like? Fried Chicken, see you tonight bye."

We got to the castle at eight sharp that day as we pulled up out side the kitchen door old Jed started barking at us, then we heard howls from his younger generation. As we got out, around the corner came Polly and the pups from her last litter. The kitchen door opened and Les stood looking at the busy scene of dogs wanting attention and Hugo running up to us as he tried to put leashes on the dogs.

"Polly you pretty hound, Alden, look at Bo and Jed Jr. they are marked just like there dad."

"Yes dear I see."

"Bena looks more like Polly," said Hugo.

I could see Les laughing at the scene, as she and a number of kids and adults came out to greet us and help us collect the goods we had.

"Come in, come in" Les said.

We had gone into the kitchen, I saw the cage with the cats I knew they were in bad shape however to see them in such a terrible condition worried me.

"I was sitting out on the old rock patio with my tea thinking I knew Aiden was a watcher and knew the tunnels better than I did. He also had been a vampire and Member of the League longer that I. He knew the penalty for killing humans or turning them without reason.

I don't know his whole story but this is what he told me of it, in the old days like many of us, he hunted like vampires of old, until White Wolf ran across him in the dark alleys of London as he cried over his latest victim. Since that time, he had been getting his blood from the butcher, and keeping his eye on the daily business of the WD for the last two centuries."

Jana came out not long after, to the patio to sip her tea, she sat down; she didn't speak at first she stared out toward the woods.

"Alden, many weeks have passed since the WD was bombed, what if Aiden's trapped in the underground caverns between WD and WD Crypts."

"Jana, I know what you're thinking without other sources of blood, he might turn on any humans with him."

"Yes what are we going to do if…"

"Hope it doesn't happed but if it does I'm sure Gwen and Altair will be reasonable…"

"Perhaps."

She took her tea and walked out to the woods.

The next time I saw her she was in the kitchen feeding Bast as Les had Pasht the two cats were starting to look better as they tried to clean the cream off their faces, and then settled down for a nap.

"Alden I spoke to Giles and Uilliam about rescuing Aidan we are leaving tomorrow."

"You can count on us Jana."

"Good, good I was hoping I could."

Tomorrow looked like it was going to be a long day. I got up to look for Crystal, I found her in the exercise room working with Kennedy and some of the slayers. She was showing them moves that White Wolf had taught her when she was there age. Every time I saw her in action it was like watching a stream flow over rocks her moves were so smooth.

"Crystal, are you through?"

"Just about Why?"

"Jana is going to search the caves and tunnels tomorrow morning, I and some other are going to join her."

She looked at her watch "It is late we all should get to bed, morning will come early. Good night Ladies, see you early tomorrow."

"Yea, good night Crystal"

It was about nine the next morning when we got to the crypt. Starting the search after going in through the secret passage with lamps, we fine a mound of dirt and debris blocking the longer one then sees little paw prints in dirt, as we got deeper until we hit a wall of dirt and rock.

Having small shovels Giles and Xander were digging the dirt out as I put it into pails I had the other organized into assembly line that took the pails out as we filled them then returned the pail.

During a brake we heard muffled sounds like crying from the other side of the dirt "Aiden is that you?" said Jana

The crying just kept on with no answer; we feverishly took more dirt out, trip after trip we took dirt out in earnest the wall of dirt broke very suddenly. We heard the crying clearly then Jana yelled in "Aiden is that you?" as she shined a lamp around.

He put his hand up, as he looked at the lamp light "Jana is that really you?"

"Yes Aiden it's me I have Giles here too."

With red, tear stains on his face and tears streaming in his eyes "No, No I don't want him to see me this way; I don't want him to see what I've done."

"Okay Aiden what happened?"

"I, I turned them, I turned them."

"Who?"

"The ones I was trying to rescue, the one I was trying to rescue."

With a deep breath "Ok Aiden I'm going to pass you blood are the other awake?"

"No, No not yet."

"Okay that will give us time, did you waited as long as you could before biting them."

"Yes Jana"

"They shouldn't be a wake until night fall. You sit and drink the blood, keep your eye on the others while we dig this hole bigger."

"Okay"

"Guys we need to move as fast as we can or there's going to be some very hungry vampire come out of this hole."

Moving quickly we got the hole open and the vampires out.

Before they left Xander asked, "Are there any more people?"

"Yes, we had a cave in and some got trapped behind the other wall of dirt I can still hear them but it is weakly," said Alden.

Wrapped in blankets the vampires were taken out to the van. "Giles you take the others back to the castle, Xander and I will try to dig through to the others."

"Find we'll bring back water for you, Amanda, Willow and Kennedy stay and help him."

"Sure Giles."

"Yea"

"Yes"

"Yea the water is almost gone."

Xander and I took a few minutes to get some water, and much needed rest while the girls started to dig.

"Alden after killing so many vampires I never thought I would be helping to dig them out."

"I can understand that after being a watcher for many years I didn't think I would become one nor did I dream of being a member of such and odd group."

"I know what you mean."

"Back to the salt mines."

"Yea we better get back to work if we want them out by the time the constables come."

Getting back to the castle, I called the authorities and told them "Robert, we found the missing people in the old tunnels of the WD. My Family and friends were trying to get them dug out."

"OK, Jana I will meet you out there with emergency services"

"Did you find him?"

Yes he and some other have been taken to our hospital but there are humans trapped behind a wall of rock and dirt."

The ambivalence met Jana at the crypt and fallowed Jana though the passage to were Xander and the slayers were digging and took over. While they rested, Xander said, "Lets get out of here."

"Yea I could use a bath I feel like I have dirt it every crack." Said Kennedy.

"We want to question the others later."

"Find comes by the castle Joe"

"Sure no problem Lady Jana"

Robert pulled up in the drive later that night around ten, he was part of the family by now had his own key to the place and everything. He saw the other car in the drive and frowned as he saw the red light on the dash, which told him it was a cop.

Joe was standing in the entry of the castle as Constable Robert Dillon came in Joe looked at him held his key up "You know what they are?"

Robert nods and Joe lets out a deep breath of relief as they both start to laugh for no reason.

"Jana came into the hall looked at them "you came at the end of dinner. Are you hunger?"

They looked at each other and nodded "Fallow me" she said, as she took them into the dinning room were Les was standing up figuring out what would be taken out first.

"Joe & Robert your late!"

For two grown men they looked sheepishly at that moment "You know were everything is help yourself," said Les with a shake of her head.

She didn't have to tell them twice they moved after they had eaten.

"Well how did you know about the tunnels?"

Giles steps in and "I'm one of the last watcher still alive and when I was young I had found the tunnel and though it would make a good escape route if something happened to the building. I had mentioned it to the old vault keeper I guess he remembered me mentioning he could use it to escape if anything happened."

Joe looked at him then asked "Where were you on the day that the WD was bombed"

"I was out of the country," Giles said as pulled out his passport handing it to the Constable.

The Constable looked at it then hand it back, "I see you were in the States, was it business or pleasure?"

"Business"

Taking out a pad, "I may want to talk with you again in the future Mr. Giles, where are you staying?"

"I'm staying here at the Pictone Castle"

The Constable put his pad away and then both men left the castle.

In the kitchen you could heard yelling and growling coming from the underground passage as Hugo, Les and Beth hustled about loading Coolers with plastic packets of red liquid then left though the underground passage.

It was later as Jana came in the kitchen to check on the cats that she saw the trio coming into the kitchen disheveled from the under ground passage.

"How are they?"

"As well as can be expected," said Hugo.

"Being bit by a mad vampire is tuff on there psyche" said Beth.

"I'm not sure which I feel sorrier for Aiden or his victims," said Les.

"Have they had blood?"

"Yes Jana we just finish giving it to them," said Hugo.

"How is Crissy?"

Les looked down thinking for a moment "She is deep in the throws of withdrawals I think she was the first he attacked."

"I could kill him."

"Jana she would of died along with the rest of the watchers if he hadn't bit and exchanged blood with them."

"I know Beth I just feel so helpless at this moment."

"In a way he did save there lives, he saw what he was doing and knew that it was wrong to kill them so he turned them."

"Yes I know but what is Gwen and Altair going to say or do."

"I, I don't know Les, how about tea while we discuss it?"

"I a nice cup of Chamile would hit the spot about now."

Les busled around the kitchen filling and putting the kettle on the stove then liting it. Then she got out the tea, pastrys and cups.

36


End file.
